


The Rossi Runaround

by innerslytherin



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-04
Updated: 2010-07-04
Packaged: 2017-10-10 09:35:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/98206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/innerslytherin/pseuds/innerslytherin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emily agrees to go to a New Year's party with Dave...and ends up with a little more than she'd bargained for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Rossi Runaround

**Author's Note:**

  * For [microgirl8225](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=microgirl8225).



> Thanks to [](http://resolucidity.livejournal.com/profile)[**resolucidity**](http://resolucidity.livejournal.com/) for the beta. Written for the Rossi/Prentiss exchange hosted at [](http://community.livejournal.com/1hour2write/profile)[**1hour2write**](http://community.livejournal.com/1hour2write/).

  
Emily and Dave had made it through their first Christmas fairly smoothly. There had been no tree, which she understood, though it had bothered her more than she'd expected. They'd gone to midnight mass together and listened to Jimmy's homily. Then they went back to Dave's house, where he gave her a diamond necklace and she gave him the shotgun he'd been drooling over in his hunting magazines. Christmas morning she'd had to leave early to get to her mother's Christmas gathering.

The day after Christmas, the team drew a family annihilator case that ended quickly and bloodily. As they flew home on December 30, everyone was quiet. Reid and JJ were both asleep. Morgan was listening to music and probably struggling with guilt. Hotch was reading. Emily and Dave were sitting together at the back of the jet, not really talking, but drawing comfort from each other's proximity.

Or they were until Dave opened his mouth somewhere over Kentucky.

"So my sister Julia has a New Year's Eve party every year. Wanna go?"

Emily stared at him in shock for a few minutes. They'd been dating almost eight months--long enough to know they were in it for the long haul by now--but Emily hadn't wanted to put Dave through meeting her mother. There had been no talk of family introductions, and she found herself at a loss for how to respond.

As she saw Dave's open expression begin to fade into hurt, she snapped out of it. "Yeah, sounds good." She smiled apologetically. "I had to think about whether I'd made a commitment to my mother." He probably saw through the fib, but she hoped he would realize she hadn't been trying to hurt his feelings.

"Glad you hadn't committed. Jules has been asking when she gets to meet you." Dave gave her the awkward smile he sometimes still got when they were talking about their relationship. As awkward and insecure as Emily could be about romance, she often thought she was the confident one in this partnership.

Her smile grew warmer at the hint of vulnerability that always charmed her all over again. She slipped her fingers into his hand. "I look forward to that," she said, wondering if that was entirely true. Still, she _did_ look forward to making him happy by doing it. "What should I wear?"

His smile broadened. "Something red and clingy?" he teased. "That red sweater of yours and jeans. It's a casual thing. We're a pretty casual family."

She nodded and squeezed his hand. "I love you," she murmured, and was rewarded with the full-wattage Rossi smile. God, he was handsome. He made her feel like a queen just with the way he looked at her. She might be nervous about meeting his family, but she'd do it in a heartbeat if it made him this happy.

*******

  
Of course, the next afternoon she was freaking out about it again. She'd never had a meet-the-family boyfriend; the one time she'd thought she was getting close, it had turned out that his family included a wife he'd never mentioned. She knew Dave's family was nothing like her own. He'd told her stories about his parents and how they'd struggled for years to make ends meet but never let any of their six children feel insecure about being loved or having their needs met. She knew Dave had fallen out with one of his brothers when his first wife divorced him, but that they'd made it up after the second one left. She knew that Dave's two sisters were both as different from each other as possible--one a stay-at-home mother of five and the other a single, type-A career woman. Growing up with Carla, Dave had said on more than one occasion, had given him a lot of inspiration in how to relate to Emily.

At least it was Julia throwing the party. Emily had a feeling she would like Carla, but she was afraid they might end in a sort of silent competition.

"Are you almost ready?" Dave hollered up for the third time. Emily was staring at her reflection and trying to decide if she should have blow-dried her hair straight instead of leaving it in soft waves, and if her earrings were detracting from the way Dave's diamond necklace settled perfectly in the hollow of her throat.

"Hang on," she called back, and switched the earrings out for simple gold hoops. She applied a neutral-toned lipstick and hoped she had put enough effort into her appearance without looking like she'd put too much effort into it. Meeting Dave's family--even just his sister--was turning out to be a nerve-wracking experience.

When she got to the base of the steps, he was pacing, already wearing his coat. "Bout time," he said, sounding grumpy. Since it wasn't even six yet and the party started at nine, Emily suspected he was as nervous as she was about the upcoming evening. Maybe that was why he'd waited so long to invite her. It made her feel a little better, oddly, knowing that this wasn't something that was easier for him since he'd introduced three women to his family already.

It was nearly a three hour drive to Virginia Beach, where Julia and Alex lived, but it seemed to go too quickly for Emily. She loved riding in the car with Dave; he had good taste in driving music and he always held her hand, which she found wonderfully romantic in a fifty-four-year-old man. But all too soon they were pulling into the driveway of a white split-level in an older part of Virginia Beach. Emily and Dave had been promised the basement guest room, since they were driving further than anyone else. While it was nice to know they weren't going to have to travel the three hours back on roads filled with possibly drunk celebrants and freezing rain...well, Emily just hoped she and Julia liked each other.

The door opened before they got to it and a tall, big-boned woman with dark hair was beaming at them. "Davey!" she cried, and rushed out to throw her arms around Dave.

"Oof! Carla, hi," Dave said, still gripping Emily's hand while patting his sister's back with the other.

_Carla?_ Emily stared at Dave with wide eyes. He hadn't told her she would be meeting more than one sister. He gave her a bewildered look back that said he hadn't known either.

"Is that Davey?" called a male voice. Emily looked back to the front door, but before she could see more than a bulky shape silhouetted against the light, Carla was in front of her, blocking her view.

"You must be Emily," Carla said, holding out a hand and smiling at her. "Davey's told me so much about you. Hardly ever shuts up." She grinned and leaned in. "Most of it's good, anyway. Except the parts where he says you and I are a lot alike? That part might be meant as an insult to you."

Emily smiled back as she gripped Carla's hand. She found herself liking Carla. Maybe it was because Carla was the youngest, and therefore only a handful of years older than Emily. Maybe it was because of the frank, friendly expression on her face.

"It's really good to meet you too," she said. "Dave's told me a couple of times that he got practice for handling me by being related to you."

Carla let out a hoarse laugh that told of a few too many cigarettes in her life but left no doubt as to how much enjoyment she got out of what Emily had just said. "Come on in and meet everybody," she said, linking an arm with Emily's and dragging her towards the door, where Dave was trading friendly punches with the bulky man.

"Everybody?" Emily repeated, feeling her stomach go a little quivery. She tightened her grip on the bottle of wine she'd brought and told herself to calm down.

Carla chuckled. "I have a confession to make. You and Davey have been subjected to a Rossi Runaround. Vito's actually the best at it, but the fact remains that Julia's the oldest child and damn good at what she does."

"Oh God, please tell me you're not telling me what I think you are," Emily pleaded.

"The whole family!" Carla said, beaming. "Even Mama and Pop are here."

"My God!" Dave exclaimed in horror, and Emily realized he must have just gotten the news himself. "Tommy, you fucking bastard," he said, and gave his brother another not-quite-as-friendly punch. "Emily's an only child! I was trying to ease her into this gigantic crazy family thing."

Tommy let out a booming laugh that made Emily flinch, then washed over her with a feel that was almost as warm as an embrace. Carla let go of Emily as Dave reached for her hand. Emily wondered if she'd been expecting her to bolt.

"Come on," Dave sighed. He kissed Emily's forehead and tightened his fingers on hers. "We're here, we might as well do it."

She managed what she thought was a passable smile that probably left him in no doubt about how nervous she was, then squeezed his hand and walked into the house right behind him.

  
The next twenty minutes were a riotous confusion of introductions. Leo Rossi was the stoop-shouldered, silver-haired patriarch of the family. His wife Marie was at least a foot shorter than he was, round-cheeked, and beamed at Emily.

Julia, the traitor, was as short as her mother but more slender, with natural streaks of gray in her short hair that made Emily admire her. She hugged Emily and apologized for the Runaround. "We were afraid he was never going to bring you home," she whispered in Emily's ear. "And you make him happier than any of the others did, except maybe Olivia." Emily decided that was meant as a compliment. She knew how very much Dave had loved Olivia.

Tommy and Vito were twins and the next oldest after Julia. They were physically as different as Julia and Carla were in personality. Tommy was broad and short, Vito tall and skinny like his father. Johnny, at fifty, was pudgy enough to look like he'd never lost his baby fat, and greeted her with a smile so brilliant Emily felt like she'd just met a long-lost brother.

Maybe, she reflected, she had.

There were several nieces and nephews scattered around, but they were occupied by the food or a Playstation in the other room. Dave obviously thought Emily had met enough Rossis for the first hour, because he produced a glass of white wine from somewhere and drew her over to sit next to him on the couch where they could talk with his father and Julia.

From Leo, Emily learned that Dave had been to see them a couple of weeks ago when he'd flown up to New York City to meet with his publisher. Julia asked suggestively whether Dave had given Emily her special present yet, and when Emily showed her the diamond necklace, Julia seemed disappointed. Emily frowned thoughtfully at Julia and Dave sighed.

"Fine, fine, I was going to wait until midnight, so thanks for spoiling the surprise," he grumbled, reaching into his pocket.

Oh God. A jolt of sheer adrenaline went through Emily.

"I went to Commack to get this from Pop," he said, looking into Emily's face with a nervous expression. "It was my Nonna Rossi's, and it's special to me because of that. So I hope it'll be special to you too." He turned his head to glare at Julia, who was leaning in with an avid expression on her face. Emily realized suddenly that the entire house had gone silent, except for the sounds of shooting and explosions from the Playstation in the other room. She glanced around and saw that everyone was watching them.

_Oh God_. Emily stared at Dave, her mouth open.

"Do it right, dummy," Vito said.

Dave rolled his eyes and slipped off the couch to one knee. It popped and Emily winced for him.

"Emily, I'd be honored," he managed, his voice husky, and then choked up. Emily's heart jumped and her chest tightened at the emotion in his gaze. He struggled for more words, but after a couple of moments she took pity on him and pressed one finger to his lips.

"I'd be honored too," she whispered, and leaned in to kiss him in front of his entire family. This was _way_ beyond her comfort zone, but when she cupped his cheek with her hand and felt dampness there, she knew she'd done it right.

The room burst into cheers and whistles and Emily laughed and buried her face against Dave's shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and whispered how much he loved her in her ear. The cheering kept going, and when Dave let her go, Emily saw that even the younger generation had been drawn in by all the noise.

Dave slipped his grandmother's ring on her finger and lifted her hand to his lips, smiling at her.

"What happened? You guys are loud," said one of the teenagers, a boy with shaggy black hair and a flannel shirt that was two sizes too big.

"Your Uncle Dave's getting married," Julia said. She grabbed the boy's wrist and tugged him forward. "This is your Aunt Emily."

The boy raised his eyebrows. "Hey, Auntie Em," he said, and Julia swatted the back of his head. He grinned and held out a hand for a proper shake.

Emily grinned back at him despite the happy tears that had leaked from the corners of her eyes. "Does that mean I get to call you Dorothy?" she teased, and was happy that he laughed.

"Mike," he corrected. "Congratulations, Uncle Dave. Aunt Emily...I'm really sorry for you."

"Hey, get outta here," Dave growled, and Mike went, laughing. "Help me up," Dave said. "My knees aren't good at this proposing thing."

Emily gave him a hand to get back up and join her on the couch again, and he slid an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. She smiled at him and settled back into his embrace. She wasn't sure how it had happened, but she seemed to have just acquired a family, and she couldn't possibly be happier.  



End file.
